Pocket radar ball/smart coach radar

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

May 23, 2018
93
18
We've been using the pocket radar for a long while now. Being that speeds vary widely, it's important to use one (and only one) to monitor progress. That said, we own the world's stingiest radar, so top speed is always lower than any other radar, but it's also an incentive. When friends tell me their DD throws 60+mph I break out my radar and watch the excuses fly.
LOL. I can't tell you how many times I've heard " my little Suzy throws 60 MPH". Usually an overly rambunctious dad. All you can do is nod, smile, and mumble under your breath. Here are some sobering stats from Massachusetts: Each year, a combine is held at the Devens complex for juniors and seniors who want to play in college. For the past 20 years, there has been not more than 6 and not less than 3 girls that throw 60 MPH. That is from a field of about 220 - 240 players. The average clocked speed is 55.4 MPH. Keep in mind that this is only for girls that intend to play in college. I suspect that the average speed for all juniors and seniors in Massachusetts is probably closer to around 53 MPH. Thank God for the radar! It tends to keep overzealous dads grounded in reality. I own three guns - two are cheap doppler guns, and the third is a gun that the police use. I never gun a girl unsolicited unless a dad asks or I'm at a game scouting. I never show a coach or dad the number unless they ask - I learned the hard way! I had one 14U dad brag about his dd throwing 64 MPH. Dad asked, so I gunned her at 53-54. I showed the dad, and he insisted that my gun was off. I told him that 53-54 was pretty near the top-end speed for 14U in Massachusetts. Despite what I had shown him, he kept telling anyone who would listen that his dd threw 64 MPH.

What's the lesson in all of this? Don't be a smarmy know it all with a radar gun. People are going to believe what they believe or what makes them feel better. It's called reducing cognitive dissonance. I'm usually focused on my tasks at hand, but this time, the dad was so irritating I couldn't resist. BTW, I never let the guys DD know what she was throwing - I made it a point to compliment her on her speed and control.
 
  • Like
Reactions: G&G
May 23, 2018
93
18
Well I'll be the dissenting voice and recommend the $100 bushnell gun.

My DD pitches a lot. She's #1 on her team. We work on pitching 5 days per week, lesson once/week. We clock her about once every 2 months. For about 8 pitches.

It's really not all that important. If you're working hard, growing, having lessons... you'll get faster. You'll see with your eyes she's getting faster.

I kind of like when people ask me how fast she throws and I say "I don't really know", or "last time we checked it was around 50".

Good for you! I've got the Bushnell gun also. It's really all you need, as it's accurate within 1 mph. The big difference is where you clock her. It can't pick up the speed from the side. The speed going away and coming into differs because of the nature of the doppler. Also, if you throw high, the number is usually really off - on the lower side. Having said that, it's a great radar to have.
 
Jan 6, 2018
221
43
We used glove radar until 12U, then the Bushnell until year 2 of 14U and now the Pocket radar with the app. (so I don't have to hold it) The Bushnell registered the same speeds, maybe a little slower, but with many more outliers or misses the older it got. In my experience with pocket radar so far, one thing I think people confuse with it is that it picks up more than you expect.

In constant mode it will pick up throws to second, exit velocity, and even bat speed on a swing and miss.(not all the time) Fortunately it time stamps the readings so it's fairly easy to delete the garbage, but sometimes it misses the pitch and just gets the exit velocity. I personally think this is where some of 60+ 12 & 14 y/o pitchers come from: people confusing an exit velocity for a pitch speed.

It can also pick up another field if it's directly across. This summer I set up behind home and after the game I looked the history to see our girl threw 189 pitches, and a lot of them well over her top speed. Looked at the data and saw she was throwing a pitch every 5-10 seconds - LOL. Either that or it was getting practice swings or something.

Anyway - I love it for lessons. I can set the iPad where she can see it and it's just on the whole time. After time it just becomes part of the atmosphere and she stops muscling it up for a speed test. We just record the practice and she can have constant feedback while she works. Just get a tripod and an external battery and you're set.
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Good for you! I've got the Bushnell gun also. It's really all you need, as it's accurate within 1 mph. The big difference is where you clock her. It can't pick up the speed from the side. The speed going away and coming into differs because of the nature of the doppler. Also, if you throw high, the number is usually really off - on the lower side. Having said that, it's a great radar to have.

Agreed. It's a bit fickle for sure.

I was at games yesterday when the opposing coach just strolled behind the plate (outside the fence) and pointed his Pocket Coach at the pitcher, clocked a few fastballs, and went back in the dugout. It was subtle (since it's small) and worked beautifully.

I now want one.
 
Jan 6, 2018
221
43
Agreed. It's a bit fickle for sure.

I was at games yesterday when the opposing coach just strolled behind the plate (outside the fence) and pointed his Pocket Coach at the pitcher, clocked a few fastballs, and went back in the dugout. It was subtle (since it's small) and worked beautifully.

I now want one.
I put mine on a tripod behind home (where allowed due to covid) and can sit on the other side of the dugout and see the speeds on the iPad. (Usually - sometimes you have to be closer if there are obstructions) My external battery covers the display so only I see it -- people usually just think I'm filming the batters.
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
I put mine on a tripod behind home (where allowed due to covid) and can sit on the other side of the dugout and see the speeds on the iPad. (Usually - sometimes you have to be closer if there are obstructions) My external battery covers the display so only I see it -- people usually just think I'm filming the batters.

So if you buy the expensive one, you can use the App on your phone to control the radar and view speeds?
 
Jan 6, 2018
221
43
So if you buy the expensive one, you can use the App on your phone to control the radar and view speeds?
Yep - that's the best part. And it keeps the history too so you can review it after the game or session. You can stop and start too so you don't get the other players if you don't want to. You can also save it each inning and start over, etc.

ETA: Also recording a clip with the camera and having it tagged with the speed is nice.
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
ETA: Also recording a clip with the camera and having it tagged with the speed is nice.

Can you explain that part to me? I'd like to be able to send a video of my DD throwing a pitch with the speed attached so others can see both her form and her speed.
 
Jan 6, 2018
221
43


I only used it once so far, but this is what it looks like. You just click the camera button on the app and it records just like this.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,481
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top